Prologue: The Reincarnated Swordsman of Shigenryu - The Blade of Stars and Darkness
【Stormy Night】
On a stormy night, atop the highest floor of Transom Tower in the capital city of Niesingle.
Reiza Togo stood in a heavy, silent corridor, clutching a pale blue blade.
The candelabra’s light faintly illuminated the gilded pillars, casting wavering shadows on the walls.
Yet, silence is sometimes too fragile a veil to conceal doubt.
“Reiza. Fear not. Strike that man down. The Logvari Union will be reborn through your sword.”
A voice like thunder shook the air.
The man who appeared was President Transom.
His golden hair gleamed with light, and a red shawl swayed as if slicing through the darkness.
His voice was both command and judgment—a blade of loyalty quietly thrust into Reiza’s heart.
Facing him was a man wielding a short dagger.
His eyes, sharp enough to cut through the cold darkness, pierced Reiza directly.
Reiza closed his eyes.
Shigenryu—the ultimate technique of this school stirred quietly in the depths of his heart.
“With the first strike, imbue your soul—”
A moment of silence fell, as if time itself had stopped.
“Chesuto!”
A flash.
The sword cleaved the air, the dagger clattered to the floor, and the man fell to his knees.
Reiza’s blade was already poised at his throat.
The thrill of victory. Yet, a lingering shadow remained in his heart.
Transom clapped his hands, a smile spreading across his face.
“Well done, Reiza. This is my sword. But loyalty? It’s nothing but thin ice. A great nation has no need for the ideals of the past.”
His words were as cold as steel, tearing at Reiza’s pride.
Silently, Reiza sheathed his sword and bowed his head.
But within his chest, a tempest of conflict raged like crashing waves.
What does it mean to serve with a sword?
【The Sword of Loyalty】
Reiza Togo—personal guard to President Transom and a rare swordsman who had mastered Shigenryu.
His training began in an ancient dojo in Kagoshima.
Alongside teachings as unyielding as steel, two words were etched into his soul: loyalty and pride.
Three years ago, amidst the chaos of a fiercely contested presidential election—
With a single strike, he protected the president from an assassin’s blade.
For the first time, Transom showed interest in him as a man.
“Reiza. A special man requires a special sword. Stay by my side.”
In that voice, Reiza found pride.
He believed it was a path to support his family and leave his mark on the nation.
But the path of loyalty gradually became shrouded in mist.
His aspirations, like a small boat adrift in a storm, wavered and drifted.
【The Blade of Betrayal】
Transom Tower. A late-night meeting room—behind the shadow of a door.
“The empire is already in my grasp. The election, the deals… all of it lies in the palm of my hand.”
A stifled laugh froze Reiza’s spine.
Backroom deals. The privatization of power.
It was all too far from the justice he once believed in.
The next morning.
Transom’s gaze pierced Reiza like ice.
“You overheard last night’s conversation, didn’t you?”
His serpentine eyes wavered.
Reiza remained silent, nodding once.
“…I’m disappointed. Even a loyal dog must be put down if it bares its fangs. There’s no place for a traitor in my future.”
Guards raised their rifles. Cold barrels surrounded him.
His hand instinctively reached for the hilt, but the muzzles stopped him.
“President, I…”
“Silence. Your loyalty is nothing more than a relic of the past.”
A gunshot shattered the corridor’s silence.
A single bullet to the chest dragged Reiza into the depths of silence.
In a pool of blood, a faint voice spilled out.
“Master… what did I misjudge…?”
The path of the swordsman sank into deep darkness.
【The Awakening of the Divine Sword】
When he opened his eyes, he found himself in an unfamiliar forest.
The scent of earth. The rustle of leaves. The wind caressing the trees.
His body was young, and small hands clutched a star-shaped pendant at his chest.
The face reflected in the water belonged to a boy of about five years old.
White hair, golden eyes—and a star-shaped ornament swaying at his chest.
“…Where am I…?”
Fragments of memory flickered like faint lights.
Vestas. A village on the far western edge of the Orlog continent.
Cobblestone streets, wooden houses, gas lamps lighting the night—it was a memory from another world.
At that moment, the pendant glowed faintly with warmth.
And then, a goddess’s voice whispered in his heart.
“Reincarnated bearer of the divine sword. Your blade is the key to unlocking the gates of fate. Seek the true path.”
Reiza—no, Radix Brightmore Spencer—stood quietly.
His soul bore both pride and regret.
“…Chesuto.”
The boy’s voice echoed through the forest.
The star-shaped pendant gleamed, and the story began to turn its gears once more.
【Afterword】
Thank you for reading this far! How did you find the prologue of The Reincarnated Divine Sword The Goddess of Mist and the Ultimate Trial? This time, we delved into the gripping swordplay woven with Reiza’s loyalty and inner conflict, culminating in the unexpected dawn of his reincarnation. Did President Transom’s cold betrayal or Reiza’s soulful cry of “Chesuto!” resonate with you? For me, the moment when the goddess whispered was an electrifying start to the story. Were there any scenes that caught your attention or made you think, “Whoa, that stood out!”? In the next installment, we’ll see Reiza, now awakened as the young Radix, encounter his fate in the mining town of Vestas—what is the “true path” whispered by the goddess, and how will the story’s gears accelerate? What will happen next? I’d love to hear your thoughts and theories! Until the next update, see you again!
